Had an oddball idea the other day for a way to give my back some support without modifying the seat. Instead of a backrest, I created strap that wraps around the top of the handle bar hub and then around my back.
I had a couple of 2" wide, adjustable utility belts lying around. They have a plastic snap-together clasp that I could use to hook them together to create one long strap. I threaded the strap around the top of the hub of the handle bars, under the handle bars, and around my back. I finally connected the clasp and adjusted the strap length. After a short ride with it, I decided it didn't interfere with the steering and was ready for a long-distance ride.
I had an over-night trip planned last weekend that was about 3 hours each way -- a perfect test. I'm here to report that it worked exactly as I had hoped. It's not perfect, but I thought I'd share it with the forum and see if someone more creative than I might see a way to improve on it.
Pros
- Simple. Easily installed and requires no permanent modifications. Also easily removed and stored.
- Cheap. I haven't actually shopped for the materials, but I suspect they can be found inexpensively at a fabric or hardware store.
- Comfortable. It definitely provided the back support I was needing. At its worst, it tended to squeeze in at my sides when I put a lot of pressure on it. I'm thinking about wrapping the back with something softer -- maybe sheepskin.
- Doesn't interfere with the passenger.
- Adaptable. I usually preferred it up around my lower ribs, but liked the fact that I could slide it up and down to different parts of my back.
- Doesn't interfere with steering. In fact, I felt more stable on harder turns.
Cons
- Safety? Not sure I want to be strapped to the bike if I were to roll it.
- Dorky. Definitely isn't attractive (especially when the straps are emblazoned with a repeating company logo.)
I had a couple of 2" wide, adjustable utility belts lying around. They have a plastic snap-together clasp that I could use to hook them together to create one long strap. I threaded the strap around the top of the hub of the handle bars, under the handle bars, and around my back. I finally connected the clasp and adjusted the strap length. After a short ride with it, I decided it didn't interfere with the steering and was ready for a long-distance ride.
I had an over-night trip planned last weekend that was about 3 hours each way -- a perfect test. I'm here to report that it worked exactly as I had hoped. It's not perfect, but I thought I'd share it with the forum and see if someone more creative than I might see a way to improve on it.
Pros
- Simple. Easily installed and requires no permanent modifications. Also easily removed and stored.
- Cheap. I haven't actually shopped for the materials, but I suspect they can be found inexpensively at a fabric or hardware store.
- Comfortable. It definitely provided the back support I was needing. At its worst, it tended to squeeze in at my sides when I put a lot of pressure on it. I'm thinking about wrapping the back with something softer -- maybe sheepskin.
- Doesn't interfere with the passenger.
- Adaptable. I usually preferred it up around my lower ribs, but liked the fact that I could slide it up and down to different parts of my back.
- Doesn't interfere with steering. In fact, I felt more stable on harder turns.
Cons
- Safety? Not sure I want to be strapped to the bike if I were to roll it.
- Dorky. Definitely isn't attractive (especially when the straps are emblazoned with a repeating company logo.)
opcorn:
